Silver halide color photographic lightsensitive material

Abstract

A silver halide color photographic material contains a coupler capable of releasing a photographically useful group or its precursor by a coupling reaction between the coupler and a developing agent in an oxidized form, wherein the coupler releases the photographically useful group or its precursor by an intramolecular nucleophilic substitution reaction using the nitrogen atom that directly bonds to a coupling position of a product obtained by the coupling reaction and that originates from the developing agent.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A silver halide color photographic material containing a coupler capable of releasing a photographically useful group or its precursor by a coupling reaction between the coupler and a developing agent in an oxidized form, wherein the coupler releases the photographically useful group or its precursor by an intramolecular nucleophilic substitution reaction using the nitrogen atom that directly bonds to a coupling position of a product obtained by the coupling reaction and that originates from the developing agent. 
     
     
       2. The material according to claim 1, wherein the coupler is represented by formula (I):   COUP--A--E--B                                              (I)     wherein   COUP represents a coupler residue capable of coupling with the developing agent in an oxidized form;   E represents an electrophilic portion;   A represents a single bond or a divalent linking group capable of releasing B along with forming a 4- to 8-membered ring by the intramolecular nucleophilic substitution reaction using the nitrogen atom that directly bonds to the coupling position of the product obtained by the coupling reaction and that originates from the developing agent, wherein A may bond to the coupling position of COUP or A may bond to the position other than the coupling position of COUP; and   B represents the photographically useful group or its precursor.   
     
     
       3. The material according to claim 2, wherein the divalent linking group represented by A bonds to the coupling position of COUP. 
     
     
       4. The material according to claim 2, wherein the linking group represented by A bonds to an atom other than the coupling position of COUP. 
     
     
       5. The material according to claim 2, wherein the linking group represented by A represents a group selected from the group consisting of: X--(CO) n1  --(Y') n2  --{C(R 41 )(R 42 )} n4  --XX,   X--(CO) n1  --{N(R 43 )} n3  --{C(R 41 )(R 42 )} n4  --XX,   X--(Y') n2  --(CO) n1  --{C(R 41 )(R 42 )} n4  --XX,   X--{N(R 43 )} n3  --(CO) n1  --{C(R 41 )(R 42 )} n4  --XX,   X--(CO) n1  --{C(R 41 )(R 42 )} n4  --(Y') n2  --XX,   X--(CO) n1  --{C(R 41 )(R 42 )} n4  --{N(R 43 )} n3  --XX,   X--(Y') n2  --XX, and   X--{N(R 43 )} n3  --XX   wherein X represents a position that bonds to COUP;   XX represents a position that bonds to E;   Y' represents an oxygen atom or a sulfur atom;   R 41 , R 42 , and R 43  each represent a hydrogen atom, an aliphatic group, an aryl group, or a heterocyclic group, wherein two of R 41 , R 42 , and R 43  may bond together to form a ring, or COUP and any one of R 41 , R 42 , and R 43  may bond together to form a ring;   n1 and n3 each represent an integer from 0 to 2;   n2 represents 0 or 1;   n4 represents an integer from 1 to 5;   provided that   when each of n3 and n4 represents an integer of 2 or more, each of the groups N(R 43 )'s and each of the groups C(R 41 )(R 42 )'s may be the same or different from each other, and each of the values n1+n2+n4, n1+n3+n4, n2, and n3 is so selected that the 4- to 8-membered ring can be formed by the intramolecular nucleophilic substitution reaction of the electrophilic portion represented by E, with the nitrogen atom of the coupling product obtained by the reaction between COUP and the developing agent in an oxidized form, wherein the nitrogen atom directly bonds to the coupling position and originates from the developing agent;   when --N(R 43 )-- directly bonds to E, R 43  is not a hydrogen atom; and   when the linking group represented by A bonds to the coupling position of COUP, A does not bond to COUP directly via Y'.     
     
     
       6. The material according to claim 2, wherein E in formula (I) represents --CO--, --CS--, --COCO--, --SO--, --SO 2  --, --P(═O)(R 51 )--, --P(═S)(R 51 ), or --C(R 52 )(R 53 )--, wherein R 51  represents an aliphatic group, an aryl group, an aliphatic oxy group, an aryl oxy group, an aliphatic thio group, or an aryl thio group; and R 52  and R 53  each represent a hydrogen atom, an aliphatic group, an aryl group, or a heterocyclic group. 
     
     
       7. The material according to claim 2, wherein B in formula (I) is represented by formula (III):   -(T).sub.k -PUG                                            (III)     wherein T represents a timing group capable of releasing PUG after T is released from E in formula (I); k represents an integer from 0 to 2; and PUG represents the photographically useful group.   
     
     
       8. The material according to claim 2, wherein the linking group represented by A bonds to the coupling position of COUP in formula (I); and A represents a group selected from the group consisting of: X--CO--C(R 41 )(R 42 )--C(R 41 )(R 42 )--XX,   X--C(R 41 )(R 42 )--C(R 41 )(R 42 )--XX,   X--C(R 41 )(R 42 )--C(R 41 )(R 42 )--C(R 41 )(R 42 )--XX,   X--C(R 41 )(R 42 )--N(R 43 )--XX   X--C(R 41 )(R 42 )--C(R 41 )(R 42 )--O--XX,   X--C(R 41 )(R 42 )--C(R 41 )(R 42 )--S--XX, and   X--C(R 41 )(R 42 )--C(R 41 )(R 42 )--N(R 43 )--XX   wherein X represents the position that bonds to COUP;   XX represents the position that bonds to E;   R 41 , R 42 , and R 43  each represent a hydrogen atom, an aliphatic group, an aryl group, or a heterocyclic group, and two of R 41 , R 42 , and R 43  may bond together to form a ring, or COUP and any one of R 41 , R 42 , and R 43  may bond together to form a ring; and   when the linking group represented by A has two ore more --C(R 41 )(R 42 )--'s, each of R 41  's and each of R 42  's may be the same or different from each other.   
     
     
       9. The material according to claim 2, wherein the linking group represented by A bonds to the atom next to the coupling position of COUP in formula (I); and A represents a group selected from the group consisting of: X--C(R 41 )(R 42 )--XX,   X--C(R 41 )(R 42 )--C(R 41 )(R 42 )--XX,   X--O--XX,   X--S--XX,   X--N(R 43 )--XX,   X--C(R 41 )(R 42 )--O--XX,   X--C(R 41 )(R 42 )--S--XX, and   X--C(R 41 )(R 42 )--N(R 43 )--XX   wherein X represents the position that bonds to COUP;   XX represents the position that bonds to E; R 41 , R 42 , and R 43  each represent a hydrogen atom, an aliphatic group, an aryl group, or a heterocyclic group;   two of R 41 , R 42 , and R 43  may bond together to form a ring, or COUP and any one of R 41 , R 42 , and R 43  may bond together to form a ring; and   when the linking group represented by A has two or more --C(R 41 )(R 42 )--'s, each of R 41  's and each of R 42  's may be the same or different from each other.   
     
     
       10. The material according to claim 2, wherein the bonding group represented by A bonds to the atom next but one to the coupling position of COUP in formula (I); and A represents a group selected from the group consisting of: X--C(R 41 )(R 42 )--XX,   X--O--XX,   X--S--XX, and   X--N(R 43 )--XX,   wherein X represents the position that bonds to COUP in formula (I);   XX represents the position that bonds to E in formula (I);   R 41 , R 42 , and R 43  each represent a hydrogen atom, an aliphatic group, an aryl group, or a heterocyclic group; and   two of R 41 , R 42 , and R 43  may bond together to form a ring, or COUP and one of R 41 , R 42 , and R 43  may bond together to form a ring.     
     
     
       11. The material according to claim 1, wherein the photographically useful group is a development inhibitor. 
     
     
       12. The material according to claim 1, wherein the photographically useful group is a bleach accelerator. 
     
     
       13. The material according to claim 1, wherein the photographically useful group is a development accelerator. 
     
     
       14. The material according to claim 1, wherein the photographically useful group is a dye. 
     
     
       15. The material according to claim 1, wherein the photographically useful group is a brightening agent. 
     
     
       16. The material according to claim 1, wherein the photographically useful group is a reducing agent. 
     
     
       17. The material according to claim 1, wherein the photographically useful group is a coupler. 
     
     
       18. The material according to claim 1, wherein the coupler represented by formula (I) is represented by formula (I-3a): ##STR27## wherein Q 1  and Q 2  each represent a group of nonmetallic atoms required to form a 5-membered or 6-membered ring and to induce the coupling reaction, with a developing agent in an oxidized form, at the atom of the joint part of X; X represents a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, R 31  --, R 31  O--, R 31  S--, R 31  OCOO--, R 32  COO--, R 32  (R 33 )NCOO--, or R 32  CON(R 33 )--, wherein R 31  represents an aliphatic group, an aryl group or a heterocyclic group, R 32  and R 33  each represent a hydrogen atom, an aliphatic group, an aryl group, or a heterocyclic group; T represents a timing group capable of releasing PUG after T is released from --C(═O)-- in formula (I-3a); k represents an integer from 0 to 2; PUG represents the photographically useful group; R 44  represents a hydrogen atom, an aliphatic group, an aryl group, or a heterocyclic group. 
     
     
       19. The material according to claim 1, wherein the coupler represented by formula (I) is represented by formula (I-3b): ##STR28## wherein R 18  represents R 32  CON(R 33 )--, R 31  OCON(R 32 )--, R 31  SO 2  N(R 32 )--, R 32  (R 33 )NCON(R 34 )--, R 31  S--, R 31  O--, R 32  (R 33 )NCO--, R 32  (R 33 )NSO 2  --, R 31  OCO--, a cyano group or a halogen atom, wherein R 31  represents an aliphatic group, an aryl group or a heterocyclic group, R 32  and R 33  each represent a hydrogen atom, an aliphatic group, an aryl group or a heterocyclic group; s' represents an integer of 0 to 4; R 44  represents a hydrogen atom, an aliphatic group, an aryl group, or a heterocyclic group; X represents a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, R 31  --, R 31  O--, R 31  S--, R 31  OCOO--, R 32  COO--, R 32  (R 33 )NCOO--, or R 32  CON(R 33 )--, wherein R 31  represents an aliphatic group, an aryl group or a heterocyclic group, R 32  and R 33  each represent a hydrogen atom, an aliphatic group, an aryl group, or a heterocyclic group; T represents a timing group capable of releasing PUG after T is released from --C(═O)-- in formula (I-3b); k represents an integer from 0 to 2; and PUG represents the photographically useful group. 
     
     
       20. The material according to claim 1, wherein the coupler represented by formula (I) is represented by formula (I-3c): ##STR29## wherein R 32  represents a hydrogen atom, an aliphatic group, an aryl group or a heterocyclic group; R 44  represents a hydrogen atom, an aliphatic group, an aryl group, or a heterocyclic group; T represents a timing group capable of releasing PUG after T is released from --C(═O)-- in formula (I-3c); k represents an integer from 0 to 2; and PUG represents the photographically useful group. 
     
     
       21. The material according to claim 20, wherein R 44  represents an aliphatic group, an aryl group, or a heterocyclic group.